


Still the Student

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Rapunzel is really trying, Rated Teen for "Teenager learned bad words from adults", Rock and a Hard Place, This redemption arc is going well!, Varian Angst (Disney), Varian Has Issues (Disney), Xavier is trying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27953720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: When Varian gets paired up with Xavier for a doomed treasure hunt, he learns how to bond with his old tutor.
Relationships: Varian & Xavier the Blacksmith (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 48





	Still the Student

**Author's Note:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney
> 
> ((Warning: The F-bomb gets dropped in narration.))

“’Here lies King Herz Der Sonne’s lost treasure’?” Rapunzel let out a giddy laugh. “You guys, _wait_! _This_ is an honest to goodness _treasure map_!”  
  
“Herz Der Sonne’s treasure map”? With the “Separatists of Saporia” symbol right on it? Something didn’t add up, but Varian wasn’t about to say anything that could remind people of his connection to the group right now. He’d been taking careful moves to avoid trouble with them, even left his alchemy at home so he didn’t seem a threat and kept his head down and worked alone.  
  
But, still, this was suspicious. Especially since the throne room hadn’t been so badly damaged when he was in it before, and now there was a “treasure map” conveniently where Princess Rapunzel would find it? And with the Saporians involved…  
  
Well, _this_ would probably be dangerous.  
  
But, Rapunzel was getting excited, and he didn’t want people to remember that he was close to the Saporians, so he kept quiet.  
  
“I have heard ‘The Legend of Herz Der Sonne’s lost treasure’,” the town blacksmith, Xavier, said. Huh, maybe they didn’t plant it after the recent fight after all. Maybe it was put in place centuries ago, perhaps by General Shampanier herself, or someone she knew. Either way, a Saporian trap was a Saporian trap. And he wouldn’t put it past Andrew and the others to damage the throne room more so they would find it. “It is said to be buried in his crypt.”  
  
Oh no.  
  
“The tale begins millennia ago—”  
  
“Uh, Xaves,” Flynn—Eugene, his name was Eugene, now—cut in, “bottom line us, would you?”  
  
 _Thank_ _you_ , Eugene.  
  
“She’s right. It’s a map.” Xavier confirmed.  
  
“This is just the thing to bring everyone together!” Rapunzel said excitedly.  
  
\--  
  
That was how Varian found himself standing outside in the courtyard with a bunch of people who a third of which wanted him dead and other third barely tolerated his existence, and the final third didn’t even know who he was beyond his Wanted poster. He considered just leaving, but Rapunzel’s pouting look when he went to the door after she’d announced she was going to work on something and to gather in the courtyard when she said to and otherwise focus on their work had stopped him in his tracks.  
  
He didn’t want to disappoint her.  
  
And so, he was here waiting with the others, standing between Xavier and some, apparently, ex-thief werewolf girl that had recently moved into a treehouse with her sister not too far from Old Corona. On her other side was Eugene and his old partner-in-crime, Lance Strongbow, who Varian hadn’t really talked to much besides when they saved Corona together, and even then Rapunzel had done most of the talking and _he’d_ been trying to avoid upsetting anyone.  
  
Just like now. When he _should_ be warning them about them walking into an obvious trap, but he’d be called a killjoy at best and accused of having something to do with it at the worst.  
  
So he kept quiet. Besides…he could be wrong. Just because it was Saporian, didn’t mean it was _bad_. Not all Saporians were evil, they were just…angry. And hurt. But, why was that insignia on a map to Herz Der Sonne’s crypt?  
  
So many questions, and the answers lay at the map’s destination. He’d see this through. Maybe they’d get lucky.  
  
Then again, when had he _ever_ been lucky?  
  
“How many of you have ever dreamed of having a treasure of untold riches?” Rapunzel said, standing next to something covered by cloth.  
  
Well, points for a good introduction, he’d give her that.  
  
“We are holding a Corona-wide race for the Lost Treasure of Herz Der Sonne!” Rapunzel declared.  
  
Oh, fun, a race. _That_ would really connect people. Competition, sabotage, exhaustion, lots of hard feelings…  
Everyone else cheered and he belatedly raised his fist in celebration, though he felt _really_ reluctant.  
  
“But, wait!” Rapunzel gasped. “It gets better! Because this is about having fun _together_ , everyone will be racing with a _partner_!”  
  
Oh, joy. Take your pick, guy that wants to kill you, woman that wants to kill you, people that barely know you beyond your criminal reputation, people that don’t trust you, Royal Guards who THREW YOU OUT INTO A BLIZZARD—actually no matter who you picked, besides Rapunzel, Varian wasn’t going to have a good time. Not that he deserved to. But he would definitely _not_ be going with any of the Royal Guards, he’d sooner endure the blizzard again!  
  
At least he wasn’t alone in being upset about the partner idea. Everyone else groaned around him.  
  
“Who picks our partners?” A thug that Varian didn’t know the name of asked. Varian raised an eyebrow in silent agreement of his question.  
  
“Ah, ah! Not who…” Rapunzel pulled the cloth away. “What!”  
  
The machine she revealed was colorful, bright, and animal-powered. _Definitely_ not Saporian-approved, but he recalled her _last_ invention had been animal-powered, too. Of course, thinking of her last invention made him think of his public humiliation at the science expo and his attempts to get closer to Cassandra that had only ended horribly and he just wanted to sink into the ground right now, thanks. Especially since thinking of that had made him think of how Cassandra had mysteriously disappeared from the group when Rapunzel came back and she refused to tell him what had happened to her but, you know, fair. Fair. He didn’t tell _her_ everything, it was enough to _at least_ know she wasn’t dead.  
  
“Couldn’t we have just pulled names out of a hat?” Eugene asked from beside Varian. He mentally winced, having not realized that people had changed places around him.  
  
“Oh, but it _is_ a hat!” Rapunzel assured him. “I called it ‘The Horotory Automated Team-Builder’! Or…” She pulled away a smaller cloth to reveal a plaque on the device. “HAT!”  
  
“Horotory”? Was she intending to say “hortatory”? As in, with intent to encourage someone to do something? Oh, Rapunzel.  
  
She started it up, turning a wheel that brought bimberries up just out of reach of the gopher of the running wheel, and it instantly got up and started running to try to get the food.  
  
Yep, as he thought, animal-powered and definitely NOT Saporian-approved. He was pretty sure that, even if he didn’t have a grudge against her Kingdom and probably her _personally_ , this ALONE would convince Andrew to _murder_ her.  
  
The running wheel then started to turn, which in turn turned a weathervane, which rang a bell that then caused a soft hammer to bang into a button twice that sent two little balls to travel on two wheels of colored spoons that caught the balls and sent them along into a clear tube that he suspected she took from his lab equipment still in the castle, then they came out, rode along gears and then dropped into a gloved hand that then carried them and dropped them into a frying pan.  
  
It was a rather genius invention, if a little random, and he would’ve loved to help her with it if she’d asked. Especially since she’d…kind of _stolen_ from him to make it, but…you know, whatever. It was fine. After all, it was in her castle, and _he_ wasn’t using it right now.  
  
“And our first team is…” She picked up the balls. “Stan and…”  
  
“Pete! Stan and Pete!” Pete the Guard said excitedly.  
  
“Angry!” Rapunzel held up the other ball.  
  
Wow, way to break up the dream-team. Not that Varian had any sympathy for the guys who _threw him out into a blizzard_.  
  
“What? This is an outrage!” Pete insisted. “It’s Stan and Pete! Everyone knows it’s _always_ Stan and Pete!” He clung to the other guard, who didn’t seem as broken-up about this as Pete was, but he did comfort his friend. Lover? Who knows? There was at least some strong affection from Pete’s side.  
  
“Yeah, and _I_ don’t want to be paired up with some dopey guard!” The werewolf’s sister, who was apparently “Angry”, declared.  
  
Okay, points for insulting the Royal Guard.  
  
“You’re not paired up with some dopey guard, you’re paired up with—” Stan paused, pointing at himself. “…Oh.”  
  
No sympathy at all, sir. Not even a little.  
  
\--  
  
The pairing went on, with people being paired up with other people. Rapunzel picked up the balls as they came out. “Pascal and…Max!” She smiled at the animals. “Aw, cute!”  
  
Well, at least _that_ dream-team didn’t get broken up. Pascal and Maximus attempted to fist-bump and Pascal got knocked into a wall, which made Ruddiger snicker from where he was sitting on the ground. Varian kept his thoughts to himself, though that _was_ kind of funny.  
  
“Xavier…” Rapunzel said, after catching the next ones, “and Varian!”  
  
Wait. Seriously? Uh, _no_. Could they get a re-do? He did _not_ want to be stuck with…well, he supposed if re-dos were allowed, Pete would’ve gotten his. Well, at least he could take comfort in the fact that his old tutor, at least, did _not_ want to kill him. In fact, he seemed _delighted_ at the chance to be alone with him.  
  
Joy.  
  
But, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. After all, despite everything, they had been on… _pretty_ decent relations. Even if Xavier _had_ been leading the resistance during the Saporian Takeover, which put them on direct opposite sides and positions. Then again, Varian never really had the power he thought he did. Andrew had claimed they were equals, then ripped the power from him with a snap of the fingers.  
  
“Ruddiger…and Hamuel!” Rapunzel said cheerfully.  
  
Ruddiger looked at his “partner”, the weird crow-raven-whatever it was that had come from the King of the Dark Kingdom with a letter for Eugene and hadn’t left yet, then moved over and curled up around Varian’s feet.  
  
“Eugene…and, of course, Lance.” Rapunzel went on.  
  
Another dream-team. At least _some_ of them would be happy with their partners. Pete and the werewolf girl—Catalina, her name was Catalina— had been paired together, and Varian didn’t know _why_ the two teams didn’t just switch if they had such a problem with it.  
  
“Hah!” Eugene laughed. “Are you _kidding_ me? Me and Lance together, searching for treasure? Just give it to us right now, folks.”  
  
Mmm, pride cometh before the fall, Flynn. Something Varian had become well acquainted with.  
  
“And finally…” Rapunzel got the last balls, “me and Feldspar!” She ran over to the shoe cobbler and held up her hand. “Up high, Feldspar! Come on!”  
  
He flinched. “Oh, please, don’t hit me!” He cried, then looked up at her. “Oh! Oh, I get it! It’s a—a gesture of camaraderie!” He straightened up. “In that case, I’m all in!” He held up his hand. “Up high, whoo-hoo!”  
  
Yep, should’ve seen _that_ coming…Juniper hadn’t exactly been kind about missed quotas. Not that _he’d_ been any _nicer_ , he just hadn’t ever been the one to inflict the harm himself, only watched it happen on his orders.  
  
“Ow…” Feldspar held his hand after she ran off, no doubt reacting to a still-healing wound since it wasn’t the one he’d just clapped against hers, but the one he’d used to hold hers up for it.  
  
“Okay, everyone!” Rapunzel said, turning all their attentions back to her and the map. “Take a good look at the map.” She moved out of their way. “Be sure to memorize it, because you can’t take it with you!”  
  
Varian moved forward with everyone else and raised an eyebrow. Yep, that insignia was _unmistakable_. How was _no one else_ noticing this? _Xavier_ at least should, but maybe he was keeping quiet because he wanted to see how this went. Okay, then.  
  
“It’s up to you and your partner or, heh, should I say, _your new bestie_ , to find your way to the treasure.” Rapunzel told them as they studied the map.  
  
\--  
  
As the time for the race approached, everyone was getting ready. Ruddiger seemed to be trying to bond with the bird, but he seemed to be either ignoring him or was being spiteful for some reason. He was tempted to bring Ruddiger with him, partnership be damned.  
  
He noticed Ruddiger seemed to be having some kind of argument with Pascal and Maximus and he was tempted to tell them off for picking on him but that would, again, draw attention to him. Besides, Ruddiger was capable of fighting his own battles.  
  
Pete stepped up next to him and it took everything in Varian to not shove him away from him, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. He had to admit, now that it was starting, he was kind of excited to do it. Even if he _did_ have to spend time with his old tutor for it.  
  
Lance Armstrong and Flynn Rider weren’t present at this point, he noticed, but that was most likely their hubris taking over. Who cared about them, anyway? Not Varian, not anymore.  
  
“On your mark, get set…” Rapunzel held a torch in her hands and, for some reason, Hamuel was in the cannon she was about to fire off. He let out a caw as it got fired off and Rapunzel yelled. “Treasure!”  
  
They took off running, passing by Eugene and Lance sitting at a table drinking tea and eating cake. Varian rolled his eyes and ignored them, continuing on. Xavier grabbed his arm and pulled him over to his forge and he couldn’t help but think of his days as a child spent in this very place, listening to his lessons.  
  
“Why are we in here?” He asked, speaking to the man for the first time since…Sun, who _knew_ how long? Since before he went to prison, for sure.  
  
“To prepare.” Xavier said with a smile. “You have grown.”  
  
Varian sighed. “Yeah.” He walked away from him, feeling self-conscious.  
  
Xavier walked over to him. “…Are you angry with me?”  
  
“What! No! I…I don’t know.” He wrapped his arms around himself. “I mean, you didn’t help me when I _needed_ it…not that I even _got_ to you to _ask_ …”  
  
Xavier’s brow furrowed. “I heard about your arrival at the castle. I did not know if the rumors of your attacking the Princess were true or not, and I could not speak against the King.”  
  
“Yeah, I know. That’s why you didn’t do anything to fight the Saporians until Rapunzel came, because I had the King under my control.” He glanced away. “Or rather, _both_ of us were under _Andrew’s_ control. How could I be so _stupid_ …trusted the wrong person again…” He hung his head, hugging himself tightly.  
  
“You are young, and you were frightened and alone. I did suggest to the King that you be given a lighter punishment, considering your age, but he refused to even _consider_ another option, or allow visitors. Even Queen Arianna wasn’t allowed down to see you, she said.” Xavier reached out a tentative hand and placed it on his shoulder. “I am… _pleased_ to see that you have returned to the light, and that your father is well again.”  
  
Varian smiled sadly and stepped away. “So…what’s the plan?”  
  
“Well…” Xavier licked his finger before he held it up. “Hm, a northerly wind is coming.” He mused. “If only there was a way to catch its mighty draft and use it to our advantage.”  
  
Varian glanced to the side, looking thoughtful. “Wait!” He looked up at him. “The Saporians use hot-air balloons. Uh, I know how to build one!” He headed out and Xavier followed with a smile.  
  
“Oho, that reminds me of a ‘legend of a mighty balloon’.” Varian stopped short, rolled his eyes and walked over to push the man along, miming talking behind his back as he continued. “In days of yore, an intrepid traveler ventured into the sky.”  
  
“You have _got_ to be kidding me…” He muttered.  
  
\--  
  
They gathered what he’d need to build it and worked in the courtyard together, though Varian kept freezing every time a member of the Royal Guard passed by. Xavier placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he jerked away, reminded painfully of when he’d been comforted like that before.  
  
“Varian,” Xavier asked as they worked, “what _really_ happened that night?”  
  
Varian’s gaze went distant. “I made a mistake…and paid dearly for it. I put my trust in the wrong people, I tried to help when I didn’t know anything, I—”  
  
“Varian,” Xavier spoke patiently, “I meant, when you supposedly ‘attacked’ the Princess.”  
  
Varian sighed. “I came running in through the blizzard and ran to her. I begged her to help, she said she couldn’t come with me, I pleaded with her, shook her arms desperately to try to get her to listen to me, and then…then it all happened so fast. Nigel had those two guards, you know, the ones on this race with us…he had them send me away. They threw me out into the raging blizzard and told me that I wasn’t worth the Princess’ time and then they just…slammed the door in my face. They left me to sit in the snow, stunned, confused, because…she _promised_ , you know? I…I helped her _so much_ , why…why couldn’t she…why didn’t she…but, I guess I should’ve realized it at the expo. I give and give, but I’m not worth even a _couple minutes_ of their time whenever _I_ need help!” He clutched at the basket of the hot air balloon, tears forming in his eyes. “So…I trusted the wrong people…and tried to help when no one told me anything, I was only ever told enough to be of _use_ , and otherwise I was just…just a _stupid kid_!”  
  
Xavier reached out to him and gently coaxed him into his arms, burying his tears in his apron. “We don’t have to do this race, if you don’t want to.” He said gently.  
  
Varian pulled away and wiped at his eyes with his sleeve before he went back to work silently, focusing on his work and shutting down his emotions. They were of no use to him now. All they ever did was get him in trouble. He should’ve only done what he was told. But what about when the Princess’ request conflicted with his father’s orders? Who should he listen to then? What was the best course of action, if he would be able to go back to that time?  
  
Ridiculous. Time travel as a concept was messy and it wasn’t possible, anyway. Even magic had to have its limits!  
  
He pushed such thoughts aside and then stood back when he finished his work. “Alright, it’s done.”  
  
“Do you think we will need anything else for the trip?” Xavier asked him.  
  
“Uh, no, I don’t think so.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Hm. Well, if you are sure.” Xavier smiled. “Why don’t you show me how this works?”  
  
Varian climbed into the balloon with him and turned on the burner, lifting them into the air. He tried not to think of the last time he’d ridden in one of these, with Andrew. Back when they were friends, maybe even brothers. A close relationship built up over months that was gone in…an instant.  
  
He'd disappointed him, and he’d cast him aside just like everyone else. He clutched at the controls, trying not to think about how long it would be before Rapunzel decided to cast him away again. He was on the right side of history…wasn’t he? He’d chosen Corona, despite all he’d learned, all he’d experienced, all the pain he’d faced at the hands of the King himself, the scars on his back that he doubted would ever vanish, the nightmares of iron masks that kept him waking up at night biting back screams and sobs.  
  
He'd chosen Corona, even though Saporia had embraced him and his skills, his mind, his thought processes wholeheartedly.  
  
No. He hadn’t chosen _Corona_.  
  
In the end, he’d chosen _Rapunzel_. He’d chosen not to hurt people anymore. He’d given up a fresh start at her earnest pleading, given up what could very well have been his freedom if she hadn’t stepped in and taken him from his cell again. He’d chosen _Xavier_ , who didn’t look at him with hate like everyone else despite his actions. He’d chosen _Ruddiger_ , who had been frightened by him when he had been cruel to the people, who had come back despite Varian angrily sending him away after he’d tried to bring him to his senses.  
  
But he _hadn’t_ chosen Corona. He hadn’t chosen the Kingdom that treated him like a criminal before he did a single crime, just because he was different. He _hadn’t_ chosen the Royal Guard, who looked at him like he was dirt on their boot when he was just a well-meaning kid who made mistakes. He _especially_ hadn’t chosen King Frederic, Stan, Pete, Nigel or Cassandra’s dad.  
  
He might’ve chosen Queen Arianna. He did feel bad about robbing her of her memory. There should be a way to undo it, but he’d have to ask Clementine, which meant talking to the Saporians again. Which was out of the question right now, such a thing would only make people distrust him again, not that they trust him _at all_ right now, it was by Rapunzel’s wonderful and beautiful grace that he was allowed out in public, he shouldn’t be so ungrateful as to think that she would throw him aside as soon as he stopped being useless—BUT WHAT IF SHE DID?!  
  
“Varian?”  
  
Xavier broke him from his thoughts and he noticed that he had been hyperventilating. He took a deep breath, released it, then cleared his throat and turned to him. “Yeah?”  
  
Xavier sighed softly with a small smile. “Varian, look around you. What do you see?”  
  
Varian blinked and looked around. “I see…the world.”  
  
“Yes, the world. The world has much to offer, is full of people who make mistakes just like you. I can see you entering a downward spiral, Varian, I’ve seen it before over the years I have known you. You pretend everything is fine and then when you get hit with the cold, hard reality you shut down and enter into a downward spiral of negative emotions.” He placed his hand on his shoulder. “But, don’t think about any of that. Look around you, look at what you have close by.”  
  
“The clouds?” Varian looked up at him.  
  
“Yes, the clouds.” He smiled. “How does it make you feel to be up here among them?”  
  
Varian reached into his belt and removed a vial, opening it to catch some of a cloud into his vial. It was just water, he knew, but it might be fun to study. “Well…” He grinned, straightening up and putting the cap on the vial. “I feel like a _bird_!”  
  
Xavier chuckled. “Indeed.” He then placed his hand on Varian’s shoulder. “Have you heard ‘The Legend of the Lone Birdman in Swandalay’?”  
  
Varian internally groaned. He _always_ did this, somehow _every_ conversation ended up leading into a legend story. There was such a thing as an obsession and Xavier definitely had it. “No…Uh, well, no, but, um—” He started to say and the man went on.  
  
“The ancient people of Swandalay,” Xavier started, and Varian cringed before he slumped over the edge, knowing he was in for the long haul with nowhere to go, “were actually a sea-faring tribe.”  
  
Speaking of “sea-faring”, was that _Stan_ down there clinging to a rock? He was half-inclined to not say anything but, on the other hand, he was trying to be good and it’d also give Xavier a distraction.  
  
“Hey, look, someone needs help!” He cried, pointing to the guard.  
  
Wait, where was his partner? Oh, he hoped she hadn’t drowned!  
  
Xavier stopped his story and lowered them to the ground. “Hold on, we’re almost there!” Varian called as they lowered. Once down, they both ran over to help the guy, but discovered it was only a suit of armor.  
  
“Huh?” He frowned, looking at the helmet, then looked over to see the duo had gotten into their hot-air balloon. “Hey!”  
  
“What are you _doing_?” Xavier asked in disbelief.  
  
“Looks like we’re winning!” Stan said shamelessly. Varian made a mental note to prank him in some way that pointed away from him as the culprit.  
  
“You’re playing _dirty_!” Varian said furiously.  
  
“There’s nothing in the rules that says that we can’t be smarter than you!” Angry said cheerfully.  
  
Okay…Varian was going to have to admit, he was _impressed_. He barely knew the girl and she was already growing on him. Maybe he should make an effort to actually know her, she seemed like she’d fun to talk with. You know, when she wasn’t stealing his balloon.  
  
Xavier sighed. “She reminds me of the girl in ‘the legend of Perpetua Demonsthenese’,” he started, and Varian looked at him in disbelief, “the young girl who thought she was smarter than all of those around her.”  
  
Varian put Stan’s helmet on his head, sat down on the bank of the river and internally screamed as he hoped the metal would muffle Xavier’s voice.  
  
He wondered where Ruddiger was. He hoped he was okay. He should’ve brought him with, but his friend had been nowhere in sight when he looked back. He hoped that stupid crow from the stupidly-named Dark Kingdom was treating him alright.  
  
Okay, so maybe he was a _little_ bitter about his father hiding his past from him for _fourteen years_. And the fact that Rapunzel found out before he did, from an aunt he never knew, was just the icing on the bitter cake. An aunt he still hadn’t _met_ , and he also had yet to meet Eugene’s mysterious father, his father’s _true_ King, but no one ever told _him_ anything, so why was he even _questioning_ that? (And since _when_ is Flynn Rider aka Eugene Fitzherbert a _prince_?)  
  
He wanted to go home, but he didn’t know where he was, he was frustrated, he was tired, he was sore from the construction work and he was emotionally drained. And he was _still_ stuck with Xavier, without a balloon.  
  
He sighed and took off the helmet before throwing it against a tree in frustration. “Let’s just find out whatever they were taking and move on.”  
  
\--  
  
Turns out, they had a rowboat. Varian took it upon himself to do the rowing, and Xavier did all the _talking_. Seriously, Varian just shut up and let him ramble on, feeling like he was eight years old again and banging his head on the desk as he rambled on about whatever legend their latest lesson reminded him of.  
  
“And so goes ‘the Legend of the Wise Man’s Dummy’.”  
  
Whatever Xavier said next was drowned out by Rapunzel going “WOOHOO!” as she whizzed by, her long hair trailing behind her with Feldspar on the other end.  
  
“Where’d they come from?” Varian asked in disbelief. “How are they moving so fast?” He sat up a bit more, squinting at them.  
  
It looked like they were wearing some kind of shoes with wheels, which explained the speed. That must be interesting for Rapunzel, though, who he recalled had a _thing_ about not wearing shoes.  
  
“I’ve never felt so aliiiive!” Feldspar declared cheerfully.  
  
“Wait! She has a map!” He cried, realizing what she was holding open in her hands. “Hey!” He yelled. “You’re _cheating_!” He shook his fist angrily and yelped as he went overboard into the water. He struggled under the water before he managed to get back up to the boat, panting heavily as his heart pounded in his chest.  
  
“Using a map is cheating, indeed.” Xavier said thoughtfully as Varian climbed back into the moving boat. “Which reminds me of ‘the Legend of” Varian’s eyes narrowed in irritation as he gripped the side of the boat furiously, his teeth clenched, “the Cheating Willows—”  
  
“ENOUGH WITH THE LEGENDS!” Varian roared furiously, and the man stopped short, his eyes wide with alarm. He ignored him and used his hand as an oar, since he’d dropped their oar earlier when he went overboard.  
  
He did feel a twinge of guilt when there was only silence between them after that, but he wasn’t going to apologize. He was tired of hearing about legends every fifteen minutes and he was _glad_ for the silence. Unfortunately, it made him think of what he was withholding, the fact that they were all probably walking into a Saporian trap set long ago. But, it was _Herz Der Sonne’s crypt_ , so why would there be a _Saporian trap_ involved?  
  
They found their way to their destination, somehow, and he noted that the hot air balloon wasn’t here yet. He did, however, see the thieves walking along with others and they all met up as they reached the crypt, just in time to see Rapunzel and Feldspar going in.  
  
“We made it here first!” They heard Rapunzel saying.  
  
“Alright! I’ll block the entrance!” Feldspar said, turning to them as they all headed in.  
  
“Hey! Cheaters!” Stan yelled.  
  
“For shame!” Someone else yelled. Varian didn’t bother seeing who.  
  
“I’ll block the entrance from here, if that’s alright.”  
Feldspar said, moving behind Rapunzel.  
  
“You’re _cheaters_!” Angry declared.  
  
“Yeah, that’s right!” Varian chimed in, then sputtered. “I—but, _you’re_ one to talk, you _stole our balloon_!”  
  
“That was well within the rules!” Stan said, coming to her defense. Varian glared at him silently, promising without words some form of revenge.

“Turn me around so I can get in on this!” The town drunk, who Varian didn’t even remember being _in_ the race, – who was he partnered with? – was apparently somehow attached to Pete with tree sap or honey or…something else sticky.  
  
After that, it kind of devolved into nonsensical arguing that Varian would probably later be ashamed to be a part of, but he was equal parts accusing Angry and Stan of being unfair and jerks and also of Rapunzel for being a cheater and rigging the entire thing to humiliate them all. To be fair, so was everyone else, but it was still mean to Rapunzel.  
  
“Stop fighting and listen!” Rapunzel cried, and Varian realized with a start that the Separatists of Saporia insignia was right behind her, right above the box that supposedly held the treasure. “No one can take that treasure!” She insisted. “It’s _cursed_!”  
  
Oh, this was absolutely a Saporian trap and they all fell for it.  
  
“Why should we listen to a _cheater_?” Stan demanded.  
  
“I’m _not_ a cheater!” Rapunzel cried. “Okay, you _could_ make the argument that I _did_ cheat, but it was to _save your lives_!”  
  
Wait, how _bad_ a Saporian trap were we talking, here?  
  
“Hey! The girl’s got the treasure!” The thug Varian still didn’t catch the name of yelled, pushing Monty to the side as he moved forward.  
  
They all looked over to see Catalina—that _was_ her name, right?—holding the treasure box with a smug expression.  
  
“No, wait, wait, wait!” Pete cried as people ran over to her. She threw it at him and it landed in the whatever-is-on-him.  
  
Varian didn’t know what was in the box, but he knew he couldn’t let anyone have it, not if it set off a _Saporian trap_. If he could, he wanted to lock it away somewhere until he found a way to remove the supposed curse which would also, unfortunately, require talking to Clementine. Which wasn’t an option right now.  
  
“Stop! Listen to me, everyone, _please_!” Rapunzel cried. “It says right here, if you claim that treasure, we are all doomed!”  
  
Cryptic. Fun. All the more reason to make sure it never opened. “Well, isn’t _that_ just convenient.” He muttered sarcastically. “Still mad about you breaking the rules of your own game, Princess.”  
  
Suddenly, Flynn Rider came cartwheeling in, grabbed the box, and escaped to the side effortlessly before anyone could move. It was equal parts impressive but also frustrating and, of course, as soon as he reached his partner they greedily opened it up.  
  
If the ominous red glowing from inside wasn’t alarming enough, the blast of red and white energy that rose from around them and went up to the hole above the insignia and the front door and created a _smoky skull in the sky_ sent ALL the alarm bells ringing in Varian’s head.  
  
This was bad, bad, _very_ bad, he should’ve pointed out the Saporian symbol, he shouldn’t have kept quiet and just tried to take it and hide it away, _stupid_ Varian!  
  
“What did you _do_?!” Lance cried, shoving the box into Eugene.  
  
“Oh, 10 on the Doom scale!” Varian declared. “10 on the Doom scale!”  
  
They were absolutely, positively, _definitely_ , as Juniper would say, **_FUCKED_**.

The Saporian symbol started to glow, no, _pulsate,_ drawing all their attentions to it, and then the sarcophaguses along the wall started to glow in the eyes and then they were opening up and skeletons in red robes stepped out.  
  
Herz Der Sonne’s crypt? Not _even_. He didn’t know where the old King was _actually_ buried, but this was Saporian through and through. _Nothing_ about this place was Coronan.  
  
Oh, and here he had nothing but a few chemicals in his belt that might be good for, at the most, a minor explosion or two when combined. The robed skeletons came out and converged on Rapunzel.  
  
“Oh! The legend is true!” Xavier said, seemed to be completely unfazed by the _literal undead in their midst_. “’The Undead Protectors of Herz Der Sonne’s Treasure’ have risen!”  
  
‘Are. You. Kidding. Me?’  
  
“What?!” Varian cried in disbelief, holding his head. “You know, _next time_ , LEAD with the—the _high doom ratio_ legend!” He pleaded in exasperation.  
  
It occurred to him moments after he said it that Xavier probably _did_ —and Eugene had cut him off.

The skeletons screeched and Rapunzel looked at Eugene. “Eugene, put the lid back on!”  
  
He did so, but it didn’t make any difference. The curse was sprung, the undead were loose and they were all thoroughly fucked. Varia cringed back as the skeletons screeched and charged at them and then Rapunzel let down her hair.  
  
“We have to put it back where it belongs!” She said, preparing to fight.  
  
Varian ran off with Xavier to try to avoid the undead, seeing as _neither_ of them had any form of armament _or_ magical, indestructible hair.  
  
Not that knowing how to fight helping any of the others, either, but at least it helped to not be so helpless. People were being thrown around by the undead and one of them decided they wanted to chase down Varian and Xavier, for _some unknown reason_. Seriously, lay off!  
  
“So much for bringing the kingdom together.” Feldspar said in a dazed way as they passed by him and Rapunzel.  
  
Oh, they’d be together, alright. Together in death.  
  
“It’s not too late to do that, Feldspar!” Rapunzel declared. “We _are_ getting out of this, together! Everyone!” She called, and people gathered around her. “Our only chance out of this is to put that treasure back on its altar!” She looked over at it, then at the group. “So, let’s show these mummies what Corona spirit can do!”  
  
So began the craziest game of keep-away Varian had ever been involved with, with the undead going after whoever had the box, and then the box would be passed along to someone else and they’d go after them and so on and so forth. At one point one of the undead got ahold of the box and then was promptly rammed into and broke into pieces against the wall.  
  
Hm, so they weren’t invulnerable. Did he dare to attempt using alchemy, though, when he was with these people? He hated being useless, even the younger kids and the animals were fighting, but he couldn’t help but think that if he used alchemy…they’d turn on him next once the danger was over.  
  
So, he didn’t fight, and instead cringed and hid behind his gloves when one of the undead cornered him alone. He was rescued, which he expected to happen, and the undead was defeated as the battle went on. He didn’t expect to be saved by the animals, though. It was good to see that Ruddiger, Pascal and Maximus had gotten over whatever their issue earlier was. Even Hamuel was being of use, putting a buzzing beehive on the undead guy’s body to replace his head.  
  
Okay, seeing him panic and run off with a beehive head was pretty funny and Varian laughed with both relief and amusement – well, until he saw another one right behind him and froze in helpless fear.  
  
Fear. He wished he could tell himself that they wouldn’t turn on him after it was safe. He wished he could fight with the others, but he was…afraid. Afraid of being noticed as anything but “that nerdy kid”, afraid to remind them of what he was capable of, afraid to seem a threat. If he had his alchemy, he could’ve bound the undead in goo and gotten the box to the altar in no time, but he had been afraid to bring it, afraid to say anything, and that was why they were _in_ this mess, because he didn’t point out the insignia on the map that Rapunzel, apparently, didn’t recognize despite having seen it on her father not too long ago, when she first returned to Corona. She recognized it then, why not now?  
  
“Ah, returned from the grave, I see.” Xavier said calmly, and both Varian and his would-be undead killer looked over at him. “Much like the Mummy of Questiana, or so the story goes.”  
  
The undead guy seemed distracted, so Varian took the chance to run away and missed the rest of the story.  
  
He ended up cornered by _another_ undead, but luckily Rapunzel had gotten to the altar with the box and set it in place. The Saporian symbol glowed and then the box released another flash of red and white before the skull up above was sucked back inside and the undead returned to their sarcophaguses. The ominous red lighting also vanished and everything returned to sunny skies.  
  
Varian walked over with the others and cheered along with them, pumping his fist in the air in celebration as Rapunzel stood proudly by the box.  
  
“We did it!” Eugene cheered.  
  
“Alright, we did it, but I did it mostly.” Feldspar said, and Varian had _no_ idea what he was talking about and he didn’t care enough to ask.  
  
\--  
  
With the danger over, everyone started to head home. Varian hung back and watched as everyone went, then looked over at the insignia silently and reached under his shirt collar to clutch at the golden necklace he’d been hiding. His mother’s necklace, discovered behind the family portrait after he’d escaped prison. He hadn’t told Rapunzel about it, and he only wore it now because it was his mother’s. He wondered, though, if maybe the undead Saporians somehow _knew_ of his betrayal, because he wore it, and that’s why they kept coming after him.  
  
Saporian magic was scary stuff.  
  
He noticed Xavier walking past him and moved his hand away from the golden cord around his neck, adjusting his shirt to better hide it and crossing his arms over his chest. He watched him walk away a bit, then sighed. Maybe…he’d been too hard on the man. He was only trying to bond with Varian in the only way he knew how, after all.  
  
“Good job, Xavier.” He called, catching his attention as he stepped away from the wall, his hands behind his back.  
  
He turned to look at him with a smile. “Yes. You too, Varian.”  
  
As if Varian had actually done anything to help. He’d been utterly useless against the undead because he couldn’t bring himself to risk upsetting the living. He turned to go and Varian spoke up again. “You know what, hey, Xaves?” He asked. “I-I just realized something.” He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, then gave a vague gesture towards him. “You, uh, you never finished ‘The Legend of the Cheating Willows’.” Because he’d _yelled_ at him. Like a big _jerk_. _Real_ mature, Varian.  
  
“Really?” He said with delight. “Well, it _is_ a rather long story.”  
  
Varian walked over to him. “I got time.” He assured him, and they continued on their way with Xavier gently placing his hand around Varian’s shoulders.  
  
“Well, the Cheating Willows is a story that begins over…” He started, and Varian smiled a bit as he looked up at the man that had taken so much of his time when Varian was a child giving him the education he needed after the schoolhouse had expelled him for being…well, a troublemaker.  
  
He made a silent promise to learn to appreciate the man more. After all, he stood by him after everything he’d done, cared for him despite his attempts to push him away. He still saw him as his student, and Varian felt like there was still a lot that he could teach him.  
  
\--  
  
“And so, it is my honor to present to you,” Rapunzel said, holding scissors over a ribbon, “our brand new throne room!” She snipped the ribbon and then opened the doors for them to go in.  
  
The throne room had been repaired and decorated while they were away, and it looked less imposing and very…well, it had “Rapunzel” all over it, and he suspected that the King might change it back once he came to his…senses. Unless he decided to leave it like this to keep her happy. Either way, he didn’t feel as apprehensive being in here as did before.  
  
“Well, the treasure hunt didn’t go _quite_ how I planned,” he heard Rapunzel saying as he walked further in with Xavier, Ruddiger on his shoulders, “but it _did_ bring everyone together.”  
  
Yeah, nothing like mortal peril to really seal a bond between strangers. Granted, it was a bond that, for the most part, didn’t involve _him_ , but you know…he’d work on that. He couldn’t expect people to want to be friendly with him after he sent them to work in the mines for months. He _did_ , at least, establish Xavier as a friend and an ally through this, though. He smiled up at the man as Xavier started to talk about some legend that the flowers Rapunzel had chosen for the vases on the tables in the room.  
  
He glanced over at Stan and Pete and considered that maybe…just _maybe_ , he could…learn to forgive them a little. He still fully intended to prank Stan for stealing his balloon, though.  
  
He felt something tap his back and looked over his shoulder to see Angry grinning up at him. “Uh, hi.”  
  
“Hi!” She giggled. “So, uh, your balloon got stuck in a tree. Also, I think Old Lady Crowley’s still out there. Wanna go out together and find them?”  
  
Catalina hopped up next to her with a big smile.  
  
Varian smiled and turned to them fully. “Sure.”  
  
Xavier smiled fondly at them and watched as they grabbed each of his arms and pulled him along.  
  
“Aww, they’re bonding!” Rapunzel said as he got practically dragged out of the castle again by girls he barely knew, Xavier following them out while chuckling.  
  
Hey, what better way to get to know them than by going on some weird adventure with them? But he was going to build another balloon for it, he was _not_ walking all that way again. Nope.  
  
Fin

**Author's Note:**

> As you get older, the long stories don't seem so bad.
> 
> ((A/N: I cut out the part in Xavier's forge where Varian is loading up his bag because 1) It didn't really make sense for him to filling his bag in that particular location and 2) He ends up losing the bag when the baloon gets taken away anyway, so I just didn't have it at all.))


End file.
